HoopsHype.com Rumors

Frank Isola: Heard Hakeem is working with Andre Drummond. Good. But Amare? He be better off saving his money. (There are rumors Hakeem charges $100,000) Twitter @FisolaNYDN

Detroit Pistons, Hakeem Olajuwon, Andre Drummond 

Hakeem Olajuwon can’t wait to get Stoudemire back to his Sugarland, Texas, ranch in August for another weeklong session at Hakeem University, work with him more on his low-post game and get him back to reaching his potential. “He put in so much work, was excited and so confident,” Olajuwon told The Post by phone from his winter home in Amman, Jordan. “To see he didn’t get a chance to really show it, I felt very bad for him. I felt for him this season because of how hard he worked. He looked so much forward to the season but with injuries he didn’t get a chance to show what he learned last summer.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Hakeem Olajuwon 

“The desire and enthusiasm he brought was so amazing,’’ said Olajuwon, the Hall of Famer whose team beat the Knicks to win the 1994 title. “It was a good experience for me because he was so eager. With him, it was the excitement. He was so excited.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Olajuwon admitted his lone concern is if the latest two knee surgeries lessens his elevating ability even moreso — but said he doubts it. Stoudemire is just 30 years old, and Olajuwon said the No. 1 goal is not to turn him back into a superstar, just a productive starter. “The only thing I want to see is his elevation,” Olajuwon said. “He needs good elevation. That’s why he needs his knees to be strong so he can finish strong. Once you have surgeries, it depends on how hard you work to get back. Once he’s comfortable, we can apply a little more innovation. If he’s moving good, it will be smoother and he’ll get good elevation, and he’ll get to another level. All summer he’ll have to strengthen his knees.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Olajuwon admitted his lone concern is if the latest two knee surgeries lessens his elevating ability even moreso — but said he doubts it. Stoudemire is just 30 years old, and Olajuwon said the No. 1 goal is not to turn him back into a superstar, just a productive starter. “The only thing I see want to see is his elevation,” Olajuwon said. “He needs good elevation. That’s why he needs his knees to be strong so he can finish strong. Once you have surgeries, it depends on how hard you work to get back. “Once he’s comfortable, we can apply a little more innovation. If he’s moving good, it will be smoother and he’ll get good elevation, and he’ll get to another level. All summer he’ll have to strengthen his knees.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Hakeem Olajuwon 

“I don’t think he’s too old, because he’s a hard worker and it’s about conditioning,” Olajuwon said. “Sometimes you can reverse it and the knees get stronger. To be an All-Star, it’s not the goal right now. But for the Knicks to challenge Miami, they need him to be close to his potential, and all he needs is just a good season.” Stoudemire has been laying low since the season ended last month because his new wife Alexis gave birth to a baby boy May 22, and he was unavailable to comment on Olajuwon. “One week is excellent,” Olajuwon said of the upcoming sessions. “It’s enough time, a very good time period with enough repetitions. I was amazed how athletic, he is, shooting jumping and running but he knew he had to develop his game to maximize it.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Hakeem Olajuwon 

You always say great things about Hakeem Olajuwon, that he would kill it if he had the chance to play nowadays and be the best center by far. What about Dwight Howard? Robert Horry: Dwight would have no chance [against Olajuwon]. Howard is a good player, but his offensive skills are limited. He only has the Georgetown hook, a couple of spins in the baseline... Dwight is a great player, but there are things certain players can and can't do, and Hakeem could do a lot. HoopsHype

Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Horry 

Amar'e Stoudemire will resume working out with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon for the second summer in a row, according to his training adviser, Travis King. King said the workouts will take place "sometime in August" at Olajuwon's ranch outside of Houston. It's not clear yet if Tyson Chandler will join him, which was on the table in 2012. ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Houston has become an attractive destination for Howard for several other reasons, according to a source. For starters, Howard has gotten to know the Houston area, as well as the history of the franchise, from working out with Rockets Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon two summers ago. Furthermore, the 27-year-old Howard is intrigued by the possibility of growing his game alongside a fellow All-Star in the rise in James Harden, who turns 24 in August. ESPN.com

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Is "The Dream" in Andre Drummond's future? Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the game's all-time great offensive players, is expected to work with the Pistons' center-forward over the summer to help him with his offensive game, which is still in the infant stages. USA Today Sports

Detroit Pistons, Hakeem Olajuwon, Andre Drummond 

Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson recently joined Cory & Nathan on 105.3 The Fan. Here are some highlights: On if the Mavs would rather have an elite point guard or center: “Look, I don’t think there is any question if you look at some of the challenges we had last year, point guards are very unique, and it’s really hard to find those guys. That’s why we pulled out all the stops to try to get Deron Williams to come back home. Obviously, he opted to stay in New York. I don’t think there is any position as important as point guard regardless of what level you’re playing on. But hey, if you’re talking about the next if not equal, you talk about the big guy in the middle. You look back at history with Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and you go right down the list, and it’s very difficult to go deep in the playoffs without an inside presence, defensively certainly so obviously, those are two key positions.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Free Agency, Deron Williams, Donnie Nelson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Keith Langlois: This teaser on @Andre Drummond. Plans not final, but he's reached out to Hakeem Olajuwon for a summer session with the HOFer in Houston. Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Hakeem Olajuwon, Andre Drummond 

ESPN Stats & Info: Spencer Hawes- 1st player with at least 18 pts, 16 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 blocks in game since Hakeem Olajuwon's quadruple double in 1990 Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Hakeem Olajuwon, Spencer Hawes 

Dwight Howard has sought the training of Hakeem Olajuwon in recent summers and the Los Angeles Lakers' center says he will again work out with the Hall of Famer this offseason. "This summer I will," Howard posted on Twitter when a follower asked him if he has or will work out with Olajuwon again. RealGM

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Hall of Fame, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Mark Berman: Drexler on Guy Lewis: "He's more deserving than Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon & myself. He helped mold us into the players that we became." Twitter @MarkBermanFox26

Hall of Fame, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Guy Lewis 

Mark Berman: Yao Ming says he'll join Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler & Dikembe Mutombo n judging the Slam Dunk Contest. Yao says he'll bring down avg age Twitter @MarkBermanFox26

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Clyde Drexler, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, All-Star 

Mark Berman: Dikembe Mutombo says he wil join Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon n helping judge the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Saturday night. Twitter @MarkBermanFox26

Clyde Drexler, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, All Star Game 

Hakeem Olajuwon is sticking with his belief that Dwight Howard will re-sign this summer with the Los Angeles Lakers. If Howard is thinking differently, Olajuwon figures Howard will let him know. In a phone interview with Fox Sports Florida, Olajuwon, a Hall of Fame center, said Howard told him in the summer of 2011 that he wanted out of Orlando after eight seasons primarily due to how he was being used by then-Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, and that he wanted to end up with the Lakers. FOXSports Florida

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon 

"I want to catch up and see how (Howard) really feels," said Olajuwon, the greatest player in Rockets history, who will serve as a judge for the NBA's Feb. 16 dunk contest and be honored at the Feb. 17 Legends Brunch. "My first concept is to make him feel comfortable... The key is to make him comfortable so that he can open up and I know what the issues are (that concern Howard)." FOXSports Florida

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon 

"During the offseason, he didn't get a chance to play basketball and that's when you work on your conditioning," said Olajuwon, who believes Howard's recent shoulder injury is much less of a concern than HIS back situation. "And then he missed (most of) the preseason and to come right into a situation where there were a lot of expectations right away. So it was a tough position for him right away. "It takes time to fully recover (from back surgery). I see sometimes that he's very comfortable and agile but sometimes you see the timing and the delay and he's not as reactive. And I believe that's part of the recovery period. That will take time." FOXSports Florida

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon